Madison times., 1887-01-01
whom no knew n NOT led him into the green


yet have to testify to-day that he has reject
ed nv mission. He has not done as he ough
TO have done. Though came from the SIX
he drove me back. Though with this wing
defended him, and though with this voice
woed him, have to announce his multiplie
imperfections. / dare not keep back the ties
timony, for then | should not dare To appea
again amongst the sinless ones before III
great white throne.n
There is only one more witness to be called
on behalf of the prosecution, and that is The
great, the holy, the august. the omnipotent
Spirit of God We bow down before him.
HOLY Spirit knOwest thou this man! ''Oh,
yes" says the Holy One, IL know him. l have
striven with him ten thousand times, ana
| though sometimes he did seem TO repent, he
| fell back again so often from his h:st estate
| Ten thousand times ten thousand times mas
he grieved Me, although the bible warned nm
| saving: Grieve not the Holy Ghost. Quencl
not the Spirit Yes, he has driven Me back.
Though / am the third person of the Trinity
he has trampled on my mission, and the blood
| of the AtOnemenI that ! brought with which
TO cleanse his soul, he sometimes despised.
| came from the throne Of God to convert, and
comfort. and sanctify. and vet look at that
| man. and see what he is compared with what,
unresisted | would have made him"
The evidence on the part of the prosecution
has closed. Now let the defense bring on the
| rebuttal testimony. What have you O Chris
tian soul, 10 bring in reply to this evidence of
the world, Of the conscience, of the angel, and
of the Holy Ghost! No evidence! Are all
these things true! ''Ycs, unclean, uncean,"
says every Christian soul. What! Do YOU not
begin to tremble at the thought Of condemna-
tiou!
We have come now to the most interesting
part Of this great trial The evidence all in,
the advocates speak. The profession of an ad-
vocate is full of responsibility. In England
and the United States there have arisen men
who in this calling Lave been hOnOred by their
race and thrown contempt upon those who in
the profession have been guilty of a great
many meannesSes. That profession will be
honorable as long as it has attached to it such
names as Mansfield, and Marshall and Story,
and Kent and Southland, and William Writ.
The courtroom has sometimes been the scene
of very marvellous and thrilling things. Some
Of YOU remember the famous Girard VIII Case,
where one OF our advocates pleaded the cause
Of the Bible and Christianity in mastery An
glo-Saxon, every paragraph thunderbolt.
Some Of YOU have read Of the famous trial in
Westminster Hall of Warren Hastings, the
despoiler of India. That great man had con-
quered India by splendid talents, by courage,
BY bribes. by gigantic dishonesty. The whole
world had rung with applause or condemna-
tion. Gathered IN Westminster Hall was one
of the most famous audiences ever gathered.
Foreign ministers and princes sat there. Peers
III Ciih anu HOlu MlgulN
men and women from all lands looked down
upon the scene. Amid all that pomp and
splendor, and amid an excitement such as has
seldom been seen in any court room, Edmund
Burke advanced in speech which will last as
long as the English language, concluding
with this burning charge which made Warren
Hastings cringe and cover: Il impeach him
in the name of the Commons House of Paria-
ment, whose trust he has betrayed. impeach
him in the name of the English nation, whose
ancient honor he has sulled. / imueach
him in the name of the people of India, whose
rights he has trampled on, aud whose country
he has turned into desert And, lastlv in
the name Of human nature, in the name of
both sexes, In the name of every age and rank,
/ impeach him as the common enemy and op-
pressor of all"
But turn from the recital Of those memora-
bic occasions to a grander trial, and have to
tell YOU that in this trial of the Christian for
the life of his soul, the advocates are mightier,
wiser and more eloquent. The evidence all
being in, Justice rises on behalf of the prose
cution to make his plea With the Bible open
in his hand, lie reads the law, stern and in-
flexible, and the penalty: '''Thc soul that sin
meth, it shall die" Then he SAYS: 80 Thou.
Judge and Lawgiver, this is Thine own stat
ute, and all the evidence in earth aud heaven
agrees in stating that this man has sinned
against all these enactments. Now let the
sword leap from its scabbard. Shall man go
through the very flames of Sinai unsnged.
Let the law be executed. Let Judgment he
pronounced. Let him die. / demand that he
die,
o Christian, does 1t not look very dark for
theei Who will plead on thy side In so forlorn
a cause! Sometimes a man will be brought
into a court of law, and he will have no
friends and no money, and the Judge will look
over the bar and say: us there anyone who
will volunteer to take this mans case, aud de
says: Il will be his COUNSEL" perhaps starting
on from that very point to great and brilliant
career. Now, in this matter of the soul. as
you have nothing to pay for counsel. do you
think that any one will volunteer. Yes, yes; |
see One rising. He is u young man, only
thirty-three years of age. | see His couute-
nance suffused with tears and covered with
blood, and all the galleries of heaven are
thrilled with the spectacle Thanks be unto
Godl ave have an advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous
o Christian soul, your case begins to look
better. think, perhaps, after all YOU NAV
not have to die. The best advocate in all the
universe has taken your side. No one was
ever so qualified to defend man as this
advocate is qualified to defend you. He
knows all the law, all its demands all its
penalties. He is always ready. No new
turn OF the case can surprise Him, and He
will plead for you for nothing as earnestly as
.hOuSh NOu Il NOTlu Ol 10
bis feet Besides that He has undertaken
Lhe care of thousands who were as forlorn as
TOu, and He has never lost a case. Courage,
D Christian soul! I think that after all there
nav be some chance for you, for the great
advocate rises to make his plea He says:
Il admit all that has been proved against
ny client. / admit all these sins, ave, more:
1ut look at that wounded hand of mine, and
ook at that other wounded hand, and at my
light foot and at nv left foot BY all these
wounds plead for his clearance. Count all |
be drops Of nv tears. Count all the |
irops Of my blood. By the humiliation Of |
3ethleham by the sweat Of Gethsemane, by |
he sufferings of the cross, | demand that he |
70 free. On this arm he hath leaned; to this |
leart he hath flown; in my tears he hath |
on my righteousness he hath depend |
d. Let him go free. / am the ransom. Let |
lin escape the lash, | took the scourgings /
let the cup pass from him, drank it to the |
lregs. Put on him the crown of life, for l |
lave worn the crown of thorns. Over against
ny cross of shame, set his throne triumph"
Well, the counsel on both sides have
poken, and there is only one more thing now
emaining, and that is the awarding of the
Judgment. II you have ever been in court
Dom YOU know the silence, and the solemnity,
u hen the verdict is about TO be rendered or
he judgment about to be given About this
oul on trial shall it be saved or shall il be
Dsti Attention! above, around, beneath. All
he universe cries: "Hear Hearn:
1he Judge rises and gives this decision,
lever to be changed, never to be revoked
There is therefore now no condemnation to
hem who are in Christ Jesusn
"Ihe soul that on Jesus hath leaned for |
repose.
] will not, viii not, desert to His foes:
That soul. though all hell should endeayor
to shake,
III never, no never, no never forsake."
But, my friends, there is coming day of
rial In which not only the saint Inf fhn LIN